It was perhaps five or six years ago when I dusted off my crate of vinyl records and began dabbling in selling on ebay. I was quite surprised by the response. I started with some bootlegs of Pink Floyd that had never seen a needle in the groove and sat untouched for roughly twenty years. They were well cared for, showpieces I most likely never would have played anyhow. A fan of techno music, I was somewhat aware of an underground love affair with vinyl in the DJ culture and the whole 'scratch' scene (beginning, of course, with Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit') in the hip-hop culture but I was surprised to find Bruce Springsteen's 'Ghost of Tom Joad' on vinyl. But I digress...
Ebay . Marvin Gaye. Vinyl. LP. A hot commodity. To get to the point, I have purchased over eight copies of this on vinyl. Why? I love the album and I love vinyl. So far, one is from Canada, one is from Germany (via Israel), one is from China and the rest are U.S. pressings. Of these, the challenge has been trying to find a first (more on that term in a minute) pressing and the difference, if there is one, between that and original pressings or later re-issues. For vinyl collectors these terms are significant. A genuine "first" pressing is the Holy Grail of sorts for collectors of a particular artist.
Many an ebay seller lists an "original" pressing in their listing and it is easy to think that this means it is a "first" pressing. I have learned that they are in fact speaking accurately. It is an "original" pressing when compared to a re-issue or one of the many audiophile versions (Simply Vinyl, various 180G issues, etc.) that have sprouted over the past several years. But "original" does not necessarily mean "first" pressing. This is a most important point.
The following are the various catalogue numbers, master numbers and matrix numbers in various combinations that I have learned. There are many more details behind each of these numbers which, as I learn them, will be posted here. These numbers have to do with where, when, which pressing plant and other such things hidden from most of us. But, like a detective, we can learn what they all mean. So here is the info:
One report I have come across states that the first pressing was released on 5-21-71 with the catalogue number listed on the record and the cover as T-310L. The matrix numbers on the run off groove are A4RS-2683-1 on Side 1 and A4RS-2684-4 on Side 2. The master numbers are HS-1867-1 on Side 1 and HS-1868-1 on Side 2. Reg Bartlette, author of 'Off the Record - Motown by Master Number', provided this information. I have found that the 'T' in the catalogue number is actually a later issue, occurring after Motown had revised their numbering system shortly after the release of this album, when Tamla releases were relabeled with the 'T', i.e. 'T-310' or 'T-310L' (though I have yet to see one with an 'L').
The liner notes of the Deluxe CD released in 2001 notes that the first pressing was released on 5-21-71 as TS-310. The master number on Side 1 is HS-1867-1 and on Side 2 is HS-1868-1. The matrix number on Side 1 is A4RS-2682-2 and on Side 2 as A4RS-2684-2. According to the liner notes there was a 'Detroit Mix' which was the original recording prior to making it way to L.A. for the final mixing before its actual release. The master numbers are identical but the matrix numbers are A4RS-2682 on Side 1 and A4RS-2684 on Side 2. It was never released prior to the Deluxe CD.
It turns out that there are many "'original" pressings, all with gatefold sleeves. I have yet to see one of these that was not a gatefold sleeve. I have several copies with an inner sleeve that is promoting the Motown Fan Club and several that have a plain white sleeve (one copy is still sealed). As far as I can discern, this is not a factor either.
